MP's plea for Government help over rampant anti-social behaviour in Sandwell

Shaun Bailey said anti-social behaviour (ASB) continued to "blight" parts of the borough and highlighted a spike in reports in Laburnum Road, Tipton.

The West Bromwich West MP urged ministers to spearhead a "community-led" approach to tackling the issue.

Opening a parliamentary debate on ASB, Mr Bailey said: "Unfortunately, anti-social behaviour continues to blight my residents in Wednesbury, Oldbury and Tipton, nowhere more so than in the Laburnum Road area of Tipton which has seen a spike in reports."

He asked for details of the work ministers were doing with West Midlands Police and Sandwell Council "to ensure we really do have a community-led approach to tackling anti-social behaviour".

Safeguarding Minister Rachel Maclean said the Government had introduced the Safer Streets fund to combat ASB,

She said funding for West Midlands Police had gone up by £40 million this year and that the force was recruiting more than 1,000 new officers.

"It is vital that the police work with their local police and crime commissioner and other agencies with responsibility for tackling this behaviour," she added.

Mr Bailey has vowed to "keep fighting" to ensure that Sandwell remains "at the top of the agenda" on ASB.

"We've had more police officers recruited and increases in police funding but now we need to start feeling safer on our streets," he said.

The area in and around Laburnum Road has become a crime hotspot, with police dealing with stabbings, carjackings and brawls there in recent years.